Glass Examination and Comparison

Class Code:

M211

Subject Area:

M - Microscopy and Trace Program

Class Location:

California Criminalistics Institute / Sacramento

Class Description:

This one-week (38 hour) course will provide students with an understanding of forensic glass analysis. The class will cover the composition of glasses, manufacturing processes in the glass industry, fracture examinations, physical examinations (including density, refractive index, elemental composition, interferometry, and fluorescence) and comparison of data. Approximately 40% of the course will be devoted to demonstrations and hands-on laboratory exercises. Students will have the opportunity to perform density, refractive index and elemental composition measurements and comparisons. The course will also cover the evaluation of the data, including an introduction to mathematical treatments. A half day field trip to a local float glass plant is also planned. The course is intended for criminalists whose assignments include the examination of glass evidence. Detailed instruction and practical exercises in the classification and discrimination of glass fragments and the interpretation of the results will make this course suitable for both beginner and experienced glass examiners. Each class is limited to 12 students. This course is POST reimbursable, Plan IV.

Instructor:

TBA

Teaching Methods:

Classroom lectures, slides, instructor demonstrations, laboratory exercises and a field trip to a local float glass manufacturing plant. The demonstrations will include the elemental composition analysis of glass fragments. The laboratory exercises will include density comparisons, refractive index comparisons, fracture examinations, and data evaluation exercises.

Objectives:

Students will be required to examine known and compare sets of glass samples to determine associations between them, as well as pass a written test.

Prerequisites:

Students should have some previous experience in the manipulation of trace evidence and be familiar with the basic principles of Phase Contrast Microscopy, elemental composition analysis by Scanning Electron Microscopy in conjunction with Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometry (SEM/EDX) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry.

Preparation:

Pre-course reading material may be assigned.

Materials Fee:

$35.00 Materials fee will be charged to all non-BFS students. This charge is due at the beginning of the class. Make check(s) payable to the California Department of Justice.

Tuition:

No cost to POST supported or State of California based Law Enforcement agencies. A $600.00 tuition fee will be required of all other public agency, private sector, or out-of-state applicants.